Rache Writes

For this week's StoryLab, I decided to explore the TVTropes website. It had a lot of interesting plot and character tropes that I liked, and below I've listed a few that I could see myself incorporating into either my storybook or into the weekly story retellings. Favorite tropes: -From beyond the fourth wall: help comes from outside the work that affects the plot in a very definite way -Pyrrhic villainy: when the villain wins, but suffers as a result of that win -Divine race lift: showing a deity with a standard appearance in a form people don't expect to see it in -While Rome burns: When everyone is panicking about a major crisis except for one person, who is going about their business as usual (Nero playing his lyre and singing as Rome burned, which is where the "while Rome burns" trope comes from. Source .)

The reading I found most interesting from this section was the Death of Osiris, found in Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie. In this story, Set tricks Osiris with an ornate chest. Osiris wants it and lays down in it, but then Set's followers trap him in it and throw him into the Nile. Isis went to look for his body, taking with her seven scorpions. She stays with a poor woman and tries to keep her scorpions outside, but one comes in and kills the woman's child. Isis feels guilty, and brings the child back to life, causing the woman to be grateful (even though it was Isis's fault to begin with? Lots to unpack there.) ( Isis mourning Osiris )

When King Saul decreed that witchcraft was illegal and now punishable by death throughout the land, the Witch of Endor was furious. She loved her work–and she was good at it too. In a time of many impersonators, her skills were praised highly and people would travel weeks just to see her. As much as she did not want to give up her living, she also did not want to die. Luckily, she was always kind to her neighbors so they were kind to her. They gave her food and clothes and household work until she could support herself again. She made a new life for herself, but longed for the day she could return to the work she loved. One night, a man hidden under layers of robes approached her, asking to connect with a spirit. "You know Saul forbade all magic, and I don't even know who you are," she said. "How do I know that you aren't one of his servants, tricking me to perform my craft so that you can kill me?" The man replied, "I admit you have no reason to ...

Notes from the story of David from Folklore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer. King David began to work creating chain mail so that his people wouldn't be paying for his living. David asked Allah to grant him the same favor as previous kings, and said he could overcome the same things they were tempted with. Allah agreed to try him in this way and gave him the date and hour that he would be tried. On that day, David locked himself away. Later in the day, he saw a gorgeous bird, and he tried to lure it inside with breadcrumbs. He could not seem to catch the bird. When it began to fly away, David lunged towards the window one last time, and that's when he laid eyes on Bathsheba. Two angels confronted David about his failure. He was extremely remorseful, so Allah said that he was forgiven in his eyes, but that he must also be pardoned in Uriah's eyes. So, he traveled to Uriah's tomb and confessed. Uriah's voice said that since hi...

Moslem Cosmogony (cont.) from Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish by E. Hanauer When Allah was creating the world, he commanded a strong angel to support it. Then, Allah created a green emerald rock for the angel to stand on for support. Then, so that the rock had something to rest on, he created a massive bull. This is where earthquakes come from, and he is known as Behemoth. The bull stands on the back of a great whale which swims in an ocean created by Allah. This story explains eclipses by saying "the monster" (I'm not sure if the author is talking about the whale or the bull). The eclipses end more quickly if worshippers offer prayers to Allah, prompting him to make the monster release the moon. If the sun is eclipsed, it is because Allah is angry and is warning people against sin. A couple of points stood out to me from other stories in this unit, although were not the focus of their stories. I may want to come back to these when brains...

The story that captured my attention the most in this section is the Witch of Endor from the King James Bible . In this story, Saul is trying to figure out how to defeat the Philistines in battle. He has forbidden witchcraft in Israel but disguises himself and seeks out a witch to get advice. She summons the ghost of Samuel, and then she realizes that Saul is the king. The ghost of Samuel predicts that Saul will die with his army the next day. What really struck me about the story is that even though Saul forbade witchcraft and tricked this woman into seeking out a spirit for him in disguise, she takes pity on him and makes him a meal before he leaves. ( The Witch of Endor by Adam Elsheimer )

For my storybook, I'm planning on telling three origin stories of Kali, which I listed in more detail in a previous post . One is where Kali emerges from Durga, one includes Pavarti becoming Kali, and the last involved the gods combining forces to create her. The two main sources I'm using as references are Wikipedia and Ancient History Encyclopedia , although I'm sure I will be pulling in more sources once I begin writing. In terms of storytelling style, I think I'm wanting to write these from a first-person perspective. When I took Intro to Hinduism I felt overwhelmed by all of the new information and names and gods that I wasn't familiar with due to my Christian background. I think that telling the story from a distant third-person perspective would overwhelm someone reading my storybook who isn't coming in with assumed knowledge of Hinduism. I think by making the reader Kali herself, it will allow for a clearer and more immersive experience. I al...

( The eyes of Kali ) Welcome to my comment wall! Click here to learn about how the goddess of time, nature, and death was created.

I decided to watch the Crash Course videos on Mythology for this week's StoryLab. I really like how the first video starts by defining myths as story rather than truth, even though they may also be true. I also like thinking about what makes a story significant and have lasting power, whether it be about the story's moral lesson or the story's explanatory power. It's interesting to know that the correlation between myths and lying began all the way back with Plato, for some reason I figured that interpretation would've happened later. I was also surprised that mythology lived in practice wasn't studied until anthropology gained prominence in the 20th century. The monomyth was also really helpful to dissect. Seeing how most hero myths have so much structural similarity will help organize my own thoughts when I'm writing. (Crash course logo. Source .)

The story of Rebekah from Genesis 24 and 25 in the King James Bible In this story, Isaac sends a servant to find a wife for him. He waits by the well to see who will not only give him drink but his camels as well. Rebekah comes and does just this. She allows the servant and his camels to stay with her family for the night, and then returns with the servant the next day and marries Isaac. (Isaac's servant tying a bracelet on Rebekah's arm. Source .)

How to Provide Great Feedback When You're Not In Charge  I really liked separating feedback into three distinct categories. A lot of my professors exclusively use evaluation, but even when someone combines it with appreciation and advice I'm definitely prone to hear the evaluation most prominently. It's really good to see this laid out and to think about how I receive different feedback so that it's easier to give constructive feedback to someone else. How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk This article was also really helpful, especially when it pointed out that the compliment sandwich helps the giver but not the receiver. I also really loved the point about asking someone if they want feedback. I know that's less applicable for this class, but I think in my life a great way to start hard conversations is to make sure they're open to it first. I think overall both the articles helped me shift my mindset from what makes me feel best giving feedback ...

After some more research and hearing Laura's feedback, I've decided to focus on the Hindu goddess Kali. I really love the dual understanding of her nature and the recent feminist retellings. As I've said before in one of my blog posts, I really love origin stories. It just so happens that Kali has three different origin stories, so I decided to research those as a starting point. 1.  In the first version, the goddess Durga was in a battle and became so angry that her rage burst Kali forth from her forehead. Once on the battlefield, Kali ate all the demons she encountered, stringing their heads on a chain that became her famous and horrifying necklace. This is also the story where the famous image of Kali stepping on Shiva comes from, as his putting himself in his path is the only thing that stops her rampage. 2. There's a couple of versions where Parvati becomes Kali, but the one I'm most interested in is when the gods were trying to defeat Daruka, who could onl...

Thousands and thousands of years ago, a princess was born. And as she grew, her mother told her lots of stories. Stories about riches and kings and wars. One night, she told the princess a new story: a legend that there exists a secret, unspeakable name that has the power to create life. The princess was curious and asked her mother if she could find it and create friends for herself. Her mother chuckled and reminded her it was only a legend. When her mother died years later, the princess became queen. Although she enjoyed the crown, she found many parts of her job tedious and unimportant. One day, during a particularly boring meeting, the queen was on the verge of falling asleep when one of her advisors mentioned a piece of paper with a single word. It had been found in a tomb miles away and the discoverers tried with all their might to speak the word with no luck. The princess demanded that it be brought to her. The queen remembered the childhood story of the unspeakable name and...

My favorite story from this half of the week's reading unit is The Rabbi's Bogey-Man from Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa. At first I thought Rabbi Lion was an actual lion, so I was picturing the story wrong through half of it. He is a "magician," or in reality a chemist. He first created a woman servant who burned herself alive, so then he created a man. I liked the device of creation, self-destruction, and then improved creation with the stories of the golems. The ending speaks to the power-hungry nature of man; the desire to overtake the forces that dictate your life. (The bogey-man attempting to get into the cathedral. Source .)

Here are notes from two of the stories that stood out to me today: The Beggar King from Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa This story reminded me a lot of Beauty and the Beast. The overall message was pretty generic–don't be heretical and don't be rude. However, I thought the genie taking his place was an interesting device. I think it's interesting that the holy priest who was originally slighted was not mentioned at the end of the story when the king is redeemed. It seems he never rectified that relationship but instead focused on the relationship between the king and the beggars. The Water-Babe from Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa I thought this story was a lot of fun. It assumes prior knowledge of Moses's story. The foreshadowing of Moses defeating Pharaoh was very blatant, but it was interesting to read about the relationship between these two future foes. I also thought it was interesting that this story set up both the power...

1. Rewire your self-critical brain I really liked this article because it doesn't ask you to cut anything out of your life or to overhaul your habits. It's just asking you to refocus when a roadblock happens to take a breath, reward yourself for getting that far, and keep going. I'm really guilty of letting a setback completely derail me from a task so I'm going to try this the next time I'm feeling discouraged or overwhelmed. 2. Neil Gaiman's advice on the creative life I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman–my dad and I actually got to hear him speak a couple of years back. I always love his advice, and this speech is no exception. I love the message that no matter what happens, just keep going, regardless of the mistakes you might make along the way. I feel like the best feedback I've gotten in my life is when that person isn't just pointing out problems, but helping me find solutions. Obviously this isn't always possible, but in an aca...

Here are some potential topics I'm considering: 1. Stories from China This is such a broad category that I'm not totally sure what direction I would go with this yet until I do more research. However, due to my time spent in China, I would love to pursue this further. I haven't decided if I would prefer to focus on a human narrative or an animal/nature one, or what morals I want to hone in on. A potential approach could be focusing on China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian , as the narrator of a story. I might also create a story about the origins of the Chinese zodiac calendar and its affiliated animals. 2. Hindu goddess Kali I've gotten to take a couple of classes on Hinduism at OU and one figure that's always fascinated me is Kali . Some people refuse to have images of the goddess in their homes because she is thought to bring violence and bad omens. However, others see her as a loving motherly figure. I think exploring the two sides of the godde...